Ferment and process of producing it.



STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERTDEGATUR'BARR, OFgJERSEYfiCITY, NEW JERSEY, ASSIG-NOR TO MEADJOHNSON &

NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

I FERMENT AND. PROCESS OF PRODUCING IT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb, 9, 1909.

Application filedOctober 24, 1906. Serial No. 340,273. (Specimena) Toall whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT DECATUR BARR, a citizen of the United States,residing at Jersey" City, in the county of Hudson and State of NewJersey, have invented new and useful Improvements in Ferments andProcesses of Producing Them, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to the production of new and useful ferments ofvalue in medicine and the arts.

I believe I am the first to discover that the bio-chemical properties offerments may be utilized-to'produce from a mixture a new fermentpossessing properties and actions different from those of the substancesor compounds entering into it and the first to provide a process bywhich such a ferment may be produced and the first to provide afermentlraying the properties of the product resulting fromthe process.1

In describing the process vand product which I have invented, it shouldbepremised that 'there is wide difference of opinion concerning theconstitution of ferments and that they are recognized and identified bytheir specific properties or actions. The properties or actions of theferments'heretofore known may be indicated in so far as .is necaliythat-they are comprised within the cate- 'gories of ferments thatpeptonize proteids,

ferments that split carbohydrates in an" acid or neutral medium butnotin an alkaline medium, "ferments thatemulsify or saponify and resolveinto glycerin and acids fats, and

clotting and oxidizing ferments. By my invention new fermentis produceddistinguished by activities" distinct from those of the materialsentering into the formation and not heretofore developedin theartificial production of ferments. The ferment I have invented isdistinguished from others by each of the followlng properties oractions, 45

to wit: the property of splitting or decomposing sugar and othercarbohydrates in an alkaline medium into carbon-dioxid, lactic andacetic acids and water, the property of effectively splitting fats intocarbon-dioxid fatty acids and water, the quality of being indestructiblein a solution containing 25% empirlcal formula C H N O ',S, and hav- 4ing a slightly acidulous of saline taste which attracts moisture whenexposed to the air, is solublev for the most part in 200 parts of waterrendered alkaline by the addition of soda bi-carbonate, is onlyslightly. soluble in a neutral or acid medium, and on heating in analkaline solution to 100 C. forms a precipitate and loses ferment power.It is essentially distinguished from all others, however, by the actionshereinbefore recited.

Theactions or properties of the ferment I have invented not only defineit but also illustrate its practical value. For example, no ferment hasheretofore been available for administration through the stomach whichwill effectively decompose carbohydrates and fats into their endproducts in.the alkaline conditions prevailing below the stomach,because all ferments having such activity under alkaline conditionsheretofore available have-by reason of the acid conditions of thestomach lost their power to act in the alkaline conditions below it. Theprocess which I have discovered produces ferment which, administered inthe usual way, will not be rendered inactive by the acid of the stomachand will act in thev alkaline conditions-beyond.

There are several theories concerning the nature of ferment and theexplanation of the phenomena of fermentation, none of which isuniversally. accepted, and there is accordingly somedifliculty indescribing the process of'my' invention so as to avoid the obscurationof factby theory. I therefore set forth the acts which constitute theprocess fully by description and illustration and merely suggest the theresults which in fact follow from performing them. I

Iitake organized ferment (that is to say,

possible explanation of.

an organized structure capable of secreting may be introduced, also, bythe introduction of other substances containing it'-place them togetherand allow them to stand in a culture medium which is either acid orneutral, the

7 two being equivalent because a neutral me dium is changed to acidbythe action of the organized ferment. I have found that by making thismixture I produce a reciprocal action between. its constituents. fromone point of view, the soluble ferment is modified, the heretoforeexpected action of the constituents of the mixture-especially the actionof the acid therein on the soluble fermentbeing apparently altered bythe presence and activity of the cells; and from another point of viewthe cells are modified, being apparently inoculated or receiving a newpower of secretion or activity by the presence and action of the solubleferment. After this mixture has been allowed to stand for, say, five (5)days, a new ferment of distinctive action and properties may be obtainedfrom it. I place the result of this mixture or the cells resulting fromit in a culture medium rendered alkaline. One of the changes that hastaken place by what I refer to as the reciprocal action of theconstituents of; the. ori inal mixture may be noted here The-originalcells would decompose in an alkaline medium but would reproduce in an'acid medium; the modified cells will reproduce in an alkaline medium butwill not reproduce in an acid medium. I allow the result of thefirstmixture which for purposes of reference may be called theinoculated cells to stand in this alkaline medium for, say, ten (10)days, until by their it by the use of the terms biochemical com pound orcombination to su est that it is :not a mechanical mixture of ermentsbut a compound resulting from biological or chemical action or both sodirected as to produce it.

In further exposition of the process which may be followed to producethe new fernient, Idescribe-it by the use of an illustrative formulawhich it will be readily understood by all acquainted with the sub-Regarded which for purposes of reference I call No. 1

ject may readily be varied without departing from the spirit or scope ofmy invention. I take, for example, 4 ounces of commercial pancreatin,United States Pharmacopm'a standard, or its equivalent in freshpancreatic glands of pigs thoroughly minced, which comprise proteolyticmatter (for which may be substituted any other suitable proteolyticferment or combination of ferments), add 1 ounces of sugar or itscarbohydrate equivalent, 4 pints of water and 1 ounce of yeast,preferably fresh brewers bottom yeast (for which may besubstitutedvarious mold fungi, as Aspergz'llus or Pam'- cz'llium,various species of mucor or other organized ferment), the exact quantityof yeast not being material as affecting the result. I permit the wholeto stand preferably in a temperature ranging between 75 and 100 F. forabout five (5) days, and evaporate, preferably in vacuo at a temperatureabout 110 F. The resulting product,

3 is then intensified and increased in quantity by culture in a medium(which may consist of various combinations of nitrogenous andcarbohydrate matter in solution) rendered alkaline, the following beinga practical illustrative formula: I take twenty (20) pints of sweetmilk, skimmed or freed from fats (or a solution of thesolids of thatquancombination to stand at a suitable temperature, preferably 100 F.,until the medium assumes a pronounced acid condition, which will beabout ten (10) or twelve (12) days, and then evaporate, preferably in'vacuo at a temperature of about F. The result of this process is aferment which for purposes of reference I call N o. 2, having thequalities and properties of the product designated No. 1 but with thosequalities greatly intensified, the action of the product No. 2 uponfats, carbohydrates and proteids as above recited being more energeticand pronounced especially in the case of proteids, while the quantity ofthe product resulting from. the final process or final ste in theprocess is much greater than that rom the first process. The product No.1 to which I have referred as comprising inoculated cells, possessescharacteristicsand properties different from those of the ingredientsentering into the mixture and being a" fat and sugar splitting fermentactive in an alkaline medium and weakly active u on proteids. Ifdesired, it may be used an marketed in its condition at this stage ofthe process and when this is done, as to it the process is at purpose ofwhich I am at present aware it is desirableto complete the whole processas above set forth so that the product designated No. 1 is intensifiedin power and increased in quantity and results in the product designatedNo. 2 which possesses the new and distinct characteristics, propertiesand qualities hereinbefore enumerated, by which it is differentiatedfrom allferments heretofore produced and rendered a soluble ferment ofgreat value.

Having thus described my invention, I de- I believe that the process Ihave invented- I opens an entirely new field in the production offerments ,and for the first time makes available ferment possessing anyof the ac-. tions or properties set forth.

IVhat I claim and desire to secure by Letters-Patent is 1. The processof manufacturing ferment which consists in putting together pancreatin,yeast, sugar and water, allowing the same to stand, evaporating, placingthe resulting product in a suitable culture medium rendered alkaline,allowing it to stand,

and evaporating.

2. The process of manufacturing ferment which consists in puttingtogether pancreatic ferment, organized ferment, carbohydrate matter andwater, allowing the same to stand, evaporating, placing the resultingproduct in .an alkaline culture medium, allowing it to stand, andevaporating.

3. The process of manufacturing ferment which consists in puttintogether proteolytic ferment, yeast, cafbohydrate matter and water,allowing the same to stand, evaporating, placing the resulting productin an alkaline culture medium, allowing it to stand, and evaporating.

4. The process of manufacturing ferment which consists in puttingtogether proteolytic ferment, organized ferment, carbohydrate matter andwater, allowing the same to stand, evaporating, placing the resultingproduct in an alkaline culture medium, vallowing it to stand, andevaporating.

5. The process of manufacturing ferment which COIlSlStS 1n, puttln'gtogether proteolytic matter, organized ferment, carbohydrate matter andwater, allowing the same to and growing the cells resulting therefrom inan alkaline medium until acid conditions prevail therein.

7. The process of producing ferment which consists in growing cells in aculture medium containing soluble ferment, and grow- I ing the cellsresulting therefrom in an alkaline culture medium.

8. The process of manufacturing ferment which consists in rowing cellsin a medium containing proteol tic matter, and growing the cellsresulting therefrom in an alkaline culture medium.

9. The process of producing ferment which consists in successivelygrowing cells in an acid medium containing soluble ferment andafterwards in an alkaline medium;

10. In a process of manufacturing fer- ,ment, the putting togetherpancreatin, yeast,

sugar and water and allowing the mixture to stand.

11. In a process of manufacturing ferment, the putting togetherpancreatic ferment, organized ferment, carbohydrate matter and water andallowing the mixture to stand. i 12. In a process of manufacturingferment, the putting together organized ferment, proteolytic matter,carbohydrate matteraind water and allowing the mixture to stan 13. In aprocess of manufacturing ferment, the making a reaction mixture ofproteolytic ferment, organized ferment, carbohydfate matter, and Water,and subjecting the combination to the action of an acid. 'x i 14. In aprocess. of manufacturing'unorganized ferment, the subjection ofproteolyt-ic matter to the action of an organism in an acid medium andto an alkaline medium successively.

15. As a new article of manufacture, an enzyme having the characteristicof splitting carbohydrates in an alkaline medium and albuminoids in anacid, alkaline or neutral medium. I

16. As a new article of manufacture, an enzyme having the characteristicof splitting carbohydrates in an alkaline medium into carbon dioxid,acids and water.

17. As a new article of manufacture, an enzyme having the characteristicof splitting carbohydrates in an alkaline medium and beingindestructible in a solution 25% hydrochloric acid. Y

18'. As a new article of manufacture, an enzyme having thecharacteristic -of splitting a fat into carbon dioxid, fatty acids andWater, splitting albuminoids in any medium,

water. and being indestructible in a solution 25% 19. As a new articleof manufacture, an hydrochloric acid. enzyme having the characteristicof split- ALBERT DECATUR BARR. 5 ting carbohydrates in an alkalinemedium Witnesses;

into carbon dioxid, acids and Water, split- C. CHOATE, ting fats intocarbon dioxid, fatty acids and HERMAN GUSTOW.

